Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
A wealthy Los Angeles teen and her superficial friends wants to break out of suburbia and experience Southern California's "gangsta" lifestyle. But problems arise when the preppies get in over their heads and provoke the wrath of a violent Latino gang. Suddenly, their role-playing seems a little too real.
Havoc is a middling crime-drama that follows a predictable fish-out-of-water trajectory — privileged teens romanticizing gang culture until consequences arrive. The plot is formulaic and telegraphed early on, offering little genuine surprise. Acting is uneven; Anne Hathaway's committed performance elevates the material somewhat, but the supporting cast struggles with thin characterization. Cinematography has some competent handheld energy that captures the contrast between Pacific Palisades gloss and East LA grit, giving it a slight edge. Novelty is low — the themes of suburban kids fetishizing street culture had been well-trodden by 2005, and the film doesn't bring a distinctive enough voice or perspective to stand apart. The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, wrapping up the film's moral questions without earning its conclusions.